Event on Parkinson’s awareness to be held in Carson City

One Carson local is working on educating the community about Parkinson’s disease by hosting an informational event Monday and Tuesday.

Brian Reedy, a former Carson High School teacher, is hosting a “Living Well and Understanding Parkinson’s Disease” event to help anyone and everyone in the community learn how to implement best techniques to help live with the disease, provide local resources and learn about current research being done on the topic.

“Our goal is to help reach early diagnose, early onset patients and care partners,” Reedy said. “We want to educate the community and people with Parkinson’s to let them know it isn’t a doom and gloom death sentence.”

He said their main objective is to show the positive things that can be done to help the disease. Reedy himself has been living with Parkinson’s for nearly a decade and has learned things such as exercise have helped him manage his disease.

“We aren’t trying to sell anything, it is just information to give some hope,” Reedy said.

There will be a number of materials handed out that help outline different avenues that can be taken to help. Guests will receive a Parkinson’s Resource Guide from the Davis Phinney Foundation.

“We want a lot of positive information and let people know that there is hope,” Reedy said. “It is a challenge but there is a way to take control of the disease, which are things I didn’t even know 10 years ago when I first got the symptoms.”

The event will also feature Lauren Paglisotti, the community engagement officer with the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.

“The Fox Foundation is giving it a power of 10,” Reedy said. “It is a huge boost and we are really excited about it.”

Reedy encourages everyone to come out and learn, especially if they know just one person with Parkinson’s.

“It affects a lot of lives,” Reedy said. “Come out, knowledge is power and can help better them with their quality of life. We want people to know too that they aren’t alone.”

This will be the first time the event is held. Reedy and his wife Lily run a support group in Carson, but when they were able to obtain Paglisotti as a speaker they thought it was best to open the event up to everyone.

“We thought, we need the community more involved and make something special with it,” Reedy said. “We wanted to make it worth their while (to have more people attend than just the support group) if they are traveling hundreds of miles out here and it is a benefit for the community at the same time, it was a magical fit.”

And the community response so far has been overwhelming. Reedy said everyone they’ve talked to has been eager and excited to help with the event.

“All the pieces fell together beautifully, no one said no, they just kept asking how much more they can help,” Reedy said. “That is beautiful.”

There will be two events held: Monday at the Carson Tahoe Regional Hospital, Bristlecone Room from 5:30 to 7 p.m.; and Tuesday at the University of Nevada Reno, William N. Pennington Health Services building room 102 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.